Meet the Team

Founder and Director of Operations for Bozeman, Montana-based Yellow Dog Flyfishing Adventures (www.yellowdogflyfishing.com), Jim began working in the fly fishing industry at the age of 14. Over the years, he has worked as a guide, sales rep, travel coordinator, and as past National Sales Manager for Scientific Anglers. He’s guided extensively in Montana, Colorado, New Mexico, and Oregon, and has fished throughout the world in over 50 different countries.

In 1999, Jim founded Yellow Dog, a fly fishing booking and travel company that has grown to become one of the largest and most recognized entities in sporting travel. As Yellow Dog’s Director, Jim spends a lot of time scouting and researching destinations throughout the world. Aside from his ongoing work with Yellow Dog, Jim is also the co-founder of Confluence Films, a film production company that created the fishing movies DRIFT (2008), RISE (2009), CONNECT (2011), WAYPOINTS (2013) and PROVIDENCE (2016).

In 2017, Jim was awarded the American Museum of Fly Fishing’s “Izaak Walton Award,” given out once a year to honor and celebrate individuals who live by the Compleat Angler philosophy. The award recognizes “a passion for the sport of fly fishing and involvement in the angling community that provides inspiration for others and promotes the legacy of leadership for future generations.” In 2018, Jim was the recipient of the annual “Lefty Kreh Industry Leadership Award,” presented to one individual each year by the American Fly Fishing Trade Association (AFFTA).

Jim’s writings and photos and appeared in numerous magazines and publications, and his photo work and galleries can be viewed at www.klugphotos.com. Fly Fishing Belize (released in October 2014) is Jim’s first full-length book project. Jim lives in Bozeman, Montana with his wife Hilary and children Carson, Finn, and Gus.

Yellow Dog co-owner Ian Davis has been involved in the fly fishing industry since the early 1990s. Having grown up in the Catskill Mountains, Ian later went on to attend the Art Institute of Chicago where he studied landscape painting. In the early 90s, he moved to Colorado, where he spent 12 years as the owner of Breckenridge Outfitters, a three-time “Orvis Endorsed Outfitter of the Year” fly shop. After leaving Colorado in 2003, Ian joined the Yellow Dog team as co-owner and saltwater program director. He has fished extensively throughout the world in both fresh and saltwater. Ian is an accomplished photographer and handles all of the art and illustrations for Yellow Dog’s catalogs and other literature.

Tom has been with Yellow Dog for more than ten years, after first starting as an intern at the company straight after graduation from the University of Montana. He has literally worn every hat and worked in every position possible at Yellow Dog, and no one knows the inner-working of the company – or the fishing travel industry – better. After working for years in an overall sales role for the company, Tom’s role expanded in 2021 to help manage all of our programs at Yellow Dog. Originally from the Midwest, Tom is a graduate of the University of Montana and as fanatical an angler as anyone we’ve ever met. When not in the office, Tom can be found fishing one of the many backcountry streams Montana has to offer or sitting at the vise tying up some new creations. Over his years with Yellow Dog, Tom has traveled extensively throughout both fresh and saltwater destinations around the globe. If you attend any of the consumer shows where Yellow Dog is participating, chances are great that you’ll meet Tom in the Yellow Dog booth!

John Hudgens is Yellow Dog’s South America program director, managing operations in Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Brazil, and Venezuela. John has fished extensively throughout South America and spent several years guiding and managing lodges in Patagonia. John literally grew up in the fly fishing industry, first working for Bob Jacklin in West Yellowstone, Montana before moving on to become one of the top guides for Mike Lawson’s Henry’s Fork Anglers in Idaho. During the peak summer months, John still guides in Idaho and Montana before settling back into the Yellow Dog office life each fall season. John is an incredible angler, a fanatical bird hunter and dog trainer, and one of the most genuine and straightforward people that we’ve ever met in this industry.

Shaun Lawson is Yellow Dog’s program manager and director for our Yucatán, Baja, and Christmas Island programs. Shaun grew up on the Henry’s Fork River – literally. His father Mike opened Henry’s Fork Anglers in 1976 and Shaun spent every summer on the river from the age of three on. Shaun brings a ton of industry experience to the position, having guided throughout Montana and Idaho for more than 20 years. Shaun also worked as past fishing operations manager for Idaho’s South Fork Lodge, one of the top lodge and outfitting operations in the business. There are very few people in the entire fly fishing industry as knowledgeable and experienced as Shaun and we are super excited to have him as a part of the Yellow Dog team! His friendly demeanor is often overshadowed by his sheer stature, and you will be hard-pressed to find a more inspired and outgoing angler on any river.

Jake is Yellow Dog’s program director for our U.S. West and Louisiana programs. Originally from Virginia, Jake moved to Idaho in 2005 and started his career in the fly fishing industry at Henry’s Fork Anglers, one of the most well-known destination fly shops in the Western United States. After leaving Idaho at the beginning of 2013, he relocated to Salt Lake City and worked for a top fly fishing e-commerce retailer, and then as a sales representative for some of the top brands in the industry. Jake is an unbelievable source of knowledge on all things having to do with fly fishing, and he now looks forward to travelling the globe pursuing his passion and helping others to do the same.

Chad grew up fishing and hunting in upstate New York, and moved out west to the Sun Valley, Idaho area in 2004 to become a “trout bum.” He has worked extensively in the flyfishing industry for the last 15 years, as a full-time guide, fly shop manager, commercial fly tyer, travel host, writer, and photographer. In addition, Chad has spent some time working with Trout Unlimited, restoring and reconnecting habitat along Idaho’s Big Wood River and Silver Creek. Conservation initiatives have always been important to Chad, and he has been a long-time supporter of organizations such as the Bonefish and Tarpon Trust, Ducks Unlimited, and Trout Unlimited. For many years, Chad was very active in his local Trout Unlimited chapters, holding a variety of chapter leadership roles.

An accomplished freelance photographer and writer, Chad’s work has appeared in such publications as Northwest Fly Fishing, Eastern Fly Fishing, American Fly Fishing, Gray’s Sporting Journal, Anglers Journal, American Angler, Fly Fisherman, Fly Fishing and Tying Journal, TROUT, and Catch Magazine.

Flyfishing travel has become a passion of Chad, and he has fished freshwater and saltwater destinations across the world.

In addition to fishing, Chad is an avid upland bird and waterfowl hunter. Chad lives in the Bozeman area with his two Springer Spaniels, Trico, and Snook.

Jack was born in Southern California and grew up camping, surfing, and fishing with family and friends. When he graduated from high school he followed his love for the mountains to Colorado where he attended the University of Colorado in Boulder and graduated with a degree in Environmental Science and a minor in Atmospheric and Ocean Science. After graduating, Jack chose to follow his passions to Argentina where he first guided fly fishing. For the next 5 years, Jack worked as a guide splitting his time between Argentina, Uruguay, Alaska, Mexico, and Wyoming, many years spending over 300 days on the water. Jack has guided for a variety of species including trout in Patagonia, Golden Dorado in the jungle, and striped marlin in Baja. Recently, after years of non-stop travel and remote living, Jack decided to step away from guiding and outfitting at destination operations. He is extremely grateful for the experiences he was able to have, the people he was able to meet, and the places he was able to see throughout his time as a guide. Jack is passionate about travel, fly fishing, and adventure—He finds great joy in helping others experience what he loves.

Kristen Tripp is Yellow Dog’s Program Director for Cuba and Yellow Dog’s Bluewater Program. A love of travel, culture, the outdoors and angling were cultivated from growing up in Nepal with summers in the Grand Tetons of Wyoming. With travel in her blood, Kristen has lived and traveled all over Latin and South America (including Chile, Argentina, Peru, Honduras, Guatemala, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Cuba) along with a long list of countries in other continents as well. Despite her global travel experience, she still maintains a healthy bucket list for future exploration. Kristen’s international travel experience combined with her Spanish language skills and an aptitude for complex trip logistics give her the skills necessary to provide travelers to Cuba with a fantastic experience. An angler, paddler, biker, hiker and general outdoor enthusiast, Kristen loves to get outside when possible to explore, and always loves the opportunity to put her Spanish to use. A “logistics addict” with a get-it-done attitude, you can bet that Kristen will work hard to take care of your trip details. If she ever lacks for an immediate answer to your questions, she will work hard to track down the information for you and can troubleshoot in two languages, a must for Cuba trips!

Josh Mills is Yellow Dog’s Day Trip Director for all of our destinations. Originally from the mountains of southern California, Josh now lives in Livingston, Montana. Since moving to Montana Josh has explored Montana’s waters from the Bighorn to Kootenay, and most waters in between. For the past five years, Josh has worked in the fly-fishing industry from guiding in Alaska to right here in Montana. He has in-depth knowledge and experience in the Rocky Mountain West as well as the Yucatan and Belize regions. If you are interested in a day trip to any of the destinations we serve, Josh is Yellow Dog’s go-to expert.  Or if you’re traveling to a new destination or just want to consider a day of fishing wherever your travels may take you, contact Josh. He is very passionate about fly fishing and strives to share his passion with anyone he comes across and will work hard to find you a day trip guide to suit your desires.

Carter handles the inbound and digital marketing for Yellow Dog. He has a passion for all things marketing, from analytics to search engine optimization. Before joining the Yellow Dog team, he worked for The Fish Hawk in Atlanta, Georgia and for TroutHunter Lodge on the Henry’s Fork of the Snake River. Originally from Atlanta, Carter spent much of his time fly fishing the Chattahoochee River, the Blue Ridge Mountains and throughout North Carolina and Tennessee. Carter has also fished internationally in The Bahamas, Cuba, Mexico, Canada, and Belize. When he’s not in the office, you can find him searching for rising trout on the various streams throughout Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming.

Shane works in Yellow Dog’s marketing department. Updating web pages, posting to social media, and ensuring you know about the latest trip specials. Hailing from southern Michigan, Shane has been a resident of Bozeman for almost 15 years. A passionate fly angler, he’s been bitten hard by the saltwater bug and has made multiple trips to The Bahamas. In the summer months, he can be found on the boat with his fiance Jasmine and pointing griffon, Jyn. As fall shows up, he makes his way to the mountains in pursuit of elk and deer. Rooster filled cattail ditches and upland prairie are the recent addiction where you’ll find Jyn on point and Shane missing as the rooster flushes.

A lifelong pisciphile, Bryan grew up fishing Cottonwood Creek and spent the bulk of his twenties on water, surfing Hawaii and working as a commercial fisherman in the Pacific and northern Atlantic. After mastering photography in the winter action sports industry, Bryan turned his lens to capturing fly fishing around the globe. He is the humble recipient of numerous awards and large-scale assignments, with work ranging from major magazine covers to billboards to groundbreaking cinematography shorts. Bryan has worked with Patagonia, Volvo Cars, Scott Fly Rods, Hatch Outdoors, TroutHunter Lodge, Casa Blanca and Playa Blanca Resorts, Rainy’s Flies, William Joseph, Trout Unlimited, Scientific Anglers, The Drake, FlyFish Journal, NW/SW Fly Fishing, and dozens of other brands, conservation groups and publications

Brett grew up in the cornfields of the Midwest, vacationing frequently to a family fishing cabin in northern Wisconsin where he recalls early mornings on the boat with his brothers and Grandpa. An insatiable desire to be outdoors and experiencing all the mountains have to offer led him West, where he eventually landed in Montana with his wife.  When not in the office, Brett can be found exploring everything Montana has to offer with his wife, either on a bike, in a raft, or on foot.

Brett brings to the team years of experience working with small businesses ranging from $5M to $250M, working not only on the accounting and finance side but also assisting strategically through operations and growth. Beginning his career in public accounting, Brett was able to develop a holistic approach to assisting businesses in streamlining processes and breaking through financial barriers. He hopes to bring that knowledge base into Yellow Dog to assist in providing additional structure and development opportunities while focusing on creating a more customer-friendly experience.

Erika is the Program Assistant for the YD Bahamas and Alaska programs. Born on the west coast, Erika moved to the Bozeman area at a young age attending Bozeman High and Montana State University. She has a strong hospitality and operations background with a love for people. She has a strong passion for fishing that was passed down from her grandfather. She is a true Montanan at heart and enjoys all the outdoor activities the beautiful state has to offer. In her off time, you can find Erika fishing, camping, traveling, and getting lost in Montana.

Yellow Dog Operations Manager, Melissa Duff, grew up on the lakes of Michigan, before heading to the Mountains of Colorado to pursue a Business degree in both International Business & Marketing at CU Boulder. Between traveling, skiing, and exploring this great world, she spent her time in Boulder as a public relations media/travel specialist and a ski vacation group sales manager, before moving to Bozeman in 2002. She spent the next few decades broadening her Operations Management portfolio, working in everything from office administration, event planning, and business management to human resources, public relations, and executive development. She comes to us most recently from the hospitality industry, bringing with her many experiences as an accounting manager.

Her door is always open should you need a hand, so please don’t hesitate to call, email, or swing by the office at your convenience. She is here to make your Yellow Dog Fly Fishing experience the best it can be! Favorite drink? Paloma. Favorite River? Currently the Big Hole. Travel Style? Travel light, travel far. Favorite Destination Thus Far? Toss up between Costa Rica & Belize.

Brenda joined the Yellow Dog Team the summer 2014. Brenda works as a Program Director Assistant and Itinerary Specialist for Belize, the Seychelles and many of Yellow Dog’s most exotic and off-the-grid offerings. Brenda also prides herself in being knowledgeable in all of the Yellow Dog programs in order to be of assistance to as many of our clients as possible. You can always count on Brenda to be upbeat, show care and attention for the details, and provide a friendly voice on the other end of the line with a happy, can-do attitude. When not in the office, Brenda loves being in the outdoors and on the water. She enjoys fishing with her husband Joe and hiking with her border collie Charlie.

Jen is the itinerary pro and logistical support for the Mexico and Canada programs. Book a trip to either of these destinations and chances are you’ll be chatting with her at some point! Raised in Montana, in the small community of Big Timber, she grew up fishing the Yellowstone and Boulder rivers with her dad and brothers. She is a Montana State University alum who returned to Bozeman after taking some time to travel and explore outside of the state and country. When not at work, Jen can be found spending time with her family and being outside as much as possible!

Kalen (pronounced Kay-lin) works as a Program Director Assistant and Itinerary Specialist for Cuba and South America. A Midwesterner at heart, Kalen was raised lake-fishing on the plentiful waters of Minnesota and Wisconsin. She has lived all over the country, travelled across Spain on foot, and toured all of Montana with Shakespeare in the Parks and Schools. Outside of the office, she can be found teaching yoga, hiking, camping, singing, cooking, and enjoying her family.

Calli is an itinerary, logistical, and support guru for anglers traveling to Belize and many of Yellow Dog’s other locations. She comes to us with industry experience in fly fishing, marketing, and business. A graduate of the University of Northwestern-St. Paul, MN and a Minnesotan by heart, she eventually found her way via fly fishing to join us here in Bozeman. 

After graduation, she served under the Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Information & Athletic Communication at the University of Northwestern-St. Paul, MN, simultaneously while earning her MBA. While working and studying she managed media and information services for 20 varsity sports programs, athletic website content—including post/pre-game write-ups, features stories, and more—and game-day operations, social media, and many other facets of an NCAA DIII college sports information department.

Her love of the outdoors was instilled in her as a child, spending countless hours at the family lake cabin in the land of 10,000 lakes. Calli has caught dozens of species, but it wasn’t until she went fly fishing in the Driftless area of southern Minnesota and western Wisconsin, that she knew her fishing passion was now in casting a fly rod to beautiful fish.

When not working to assist Yellow Dog’s customers, Calli enjoys discovering new waters and catching new species, backpacking into the mountains in search of high alpine trout, and participating in some occasional big-game rifle hunting. She also enjoys spending time with her siblings—of which she is an identical quadruplet.

We are thrilled to have Calli on the Yellow Dog team. Prior to joining Yellow Dog, she worked at Seacat Creative and The Rivers Edge West fly shop and we are excited to have her enthusiasm, skills, and experience working for our customers.

Sarah is the Program Assistant for the Bahamas and Alaska programs with Yellow Dog. Originally from Chicago, she grew up spending her summers exploring the woods in northern Wisconsin. She graduated from Bates College in Lewiston, Maine with a degree in Environmental Studies, and moved west in pursuit of fish, snow, and some bigger mountains to play in. Sarah’s professional interests lie in the outdoor industry, with experience working at camp in Wisconsin, leading hiking and backpacking trips both in New England and Montana, and working with competitive skiers and snowboarders in Vail. When not working, she can be found standing in a river, skiing, playing ultimate frisbee, or perfecting a new recipe in the kitchen.

With over forty years of experience fly fishing the world, Jeff has quite possibly fished more countries and caught more species on a fly rod than any person alive. He’s an active lecturer, published author, a well-known artist, and the subject of numerous films, articles and media projects. Jeff is constantly traveling and developing new techniques for catching the most exotic fish imaginable in places where even the most avid adventurers are hesitant to go. An IGFA World Record holder, Jeff has fished in over 55 countries and caught over 375 species of fish on a fly. The oldest member of the Yellow Dog Ambassador team, Jeff can now die happy having watched the Cubs finally win a World Series.

Raised in South Africa, Jako Lucas began fishing South Africa’s fresh and saltwater destinations at the age of four. He represented his country in various competitions throughout his youth before starting his career as a full-time guide in 2006. Along the way he expanded his horizons to include photography and film work, establishing his own action film production company, Captain Jack Films. Jako’s guide resume includes years of working in Mongolia, Norway, and all throughout the Indian Ocean; including time spent on Astove, Cosmoledo, Farquhar, Providence, and Alphonse. He’s fished all across the globe and has won numerous awards for his film work. Jako is currently a consultant for Thomas and Thomas Rods.

Permit and steelhead addict Wil Flack has been living, guiding and working in Belize for the past 15 years. Wil owns Tres Pescados Fly Shop on Ambergris Caye, and recently opened the Belize Permit Club further to the south in Hopkins. Wil has fished all over the world, including Tahiti and French Polynesia, Costa Rica, Honduras, Mexico, Fiji, Venezuela, the Bahamas, Australia, Hawaii, Japan and throughout the US West and Canada. He was featured in the 2013 Confluence Films project, Waypoints, searching for jungle payara and eating barbequed jungle rat with his friend Oliver White. When you finish up a day of fishing with Wil, he’ll gladly take a gin and tonic – with two olives.